Schools & Youth Groups
My students were enthralled as they boarded the schooner Adventuress. Their excitement about all they were learning was incredible. This was the way to pull together a year's worth of marine science study. My students will never forget this learning laboratory. [A teacher]
I would recommend this trip for other kids. Being there is better than a book. [A student]
Sound Studies and Sound Explorations
Sound Studies and Sound Explorations are programs designed to spark the imagination and foster an interest in science, leadership and the environment. As Adventuress sets out on the waters of Puget Sound, students work as a team to help raise the sails. They learn about Puget Sound ecology and history by participating in five hands-on discovery stations: Plankton, Marine Life, Watersheds, Nautical Skills, and Life Aboard Ship. Interrelationships, cycles, energy flow and adaptations are key concepts woven throughout these educational programs.
The fundamental distinction between Sound Experience and other environmental education programs is the opportunity for students to genuinely experience the ecology of Puget Sound while on the water.
Program Details
Sound Studies: 3-5 hour shipboard education programs
Sound Explorations: 2- to 7-day journeys of exploration and self-discovery
Group Size: Adventuress' 101-foot deck easily accommodates 45 participants for day sails.
Overnight programs include sleeping accommodations and meals for 24 participants.
Fees: These are educational rates for school groups and non-profit organizations.
- 3-hour Sound Studies $1,150 (grades 3-12)
- 5-hour Sound Studies $1,675 (grades 3-12)
- Sound Explorations $2,780 (per day, ages 10+) (Please note that charges are per day, not per night. The first day begins at 11:00 a.m. and the last day ends at noon.
Sailing Season: March through October
Ports: Olympia, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Seattle/Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Kirkland, Bainbridge Island, Everett, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor
To Schedule a Sailing Date
Sailing dates and dock locations are based on availability. To schedule a program, simply complete the appropriate Request Form or contact our office. Programs are currently being scheduled as remaining space permits this fall. Spring 2010 trips will be scheduled beginning October 1, 2009. 1/3 payment is due with contract, 1/3 payment is due two months prior to trip, final 1/3 due one month prior to departure. There are no refunds after the contract has been signed. All payments are non-refundable.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
In the event of cancellation by the group, one half of the deposit (per voyage) is refundable up to 135 days prior to the program departure date. After 135 days prior to the program departure date, the whole program fee is considered earned by Sound Experience for all days reserved, regardless of actual use by the group. In the event of cancellation of the entire program by Sound Experience for reasons of operational readiness of the vessel, Sound Experience will reimburse the group for the full program fee. In the event of Sound Experience determining to run a dockside version of program with no sailing experience, for reasons of safety or weather, Sound Experience will reimburse the group for 30% of the cost of the program. Sound Experience will not be held responsible for any liability or costs incurred by the group due to any cancellation, except as stated above.
Click here for a Sound Studies or Sound Explorations Request Form.
Click here for an EALRs chart.
Goals of Sound Studies and Sound Explorations
The goal of a Sound Studies or Sound Explorations program, as with all programs offered by Sound Experience, can be summarized in a single word: awareness. As our mission states, people will protect what they learn to value.
The most effective way to have a lasting impact in this area is to meet the following goals for every program. Participants will:
- Leave with a heightened awareness of Puget Sound as a fragile ecosystem, understand the concept of a whole system, and how Adventuress and the earth both illustrate this concept.
- Recognize the interrelationships that exist between all life. Identify the positive and negative impacts that they as individuals have on the Puget Sound ecosystem. Recognize their ability to take action by raising others’ awareness and making responsible choices. Understand the necessity of cooperation as a course to action.
- Learn that Puget Sound is an incredible, diverse and productive ecosystem and that the waterways we all share are fragile and need our care.
- Most importantly, students learn that they can make a difference.
Students will work cooperatively to set the sails and participate in a variety of hands-on learning stations which vary from trip to trip. Our standard program includes these five stations:
Plankton Students participate in a plankton tow, observe plankton under a video microscope, and identify phytoplankton and zooplankton. In doing so, students understand the role of plankton in the food web and its interrelationship to the marine food chain.
Watersheds Students look at maps of the Puget Sound watershed and create erosion models. Students learn that they can make responsible choices in their daily actions, directly affecting all life in Puget Sound, and they see that their choices can make a difference.
Marine Mammals Each student is given the chance to gently touch, study and marvel at marine creatures collected from the intertidal zone. Students are taught how organisms adapt to survive in the marine ecosystem and about each organism's unique habitat. Through examining real marine mammal parts (teeth, baleen, and fur) students learn the different types of mammals found in the waters of Puget Sound. Comparisons are made between baleen and toothed whales and students learn about each distinct feeding style.
Life Aboard Ship Participants get the chance to explore below decks, seeing all aspects of shipboard life aboard our historic schooner. Students come to understand the metaphor that the ship, like our planet, has limited resources which must be used carefully.
Nautical Skills Students help the Captain and First Mate steer Adventuress, learn how to use a compass, and become familiar with a nautical chart. By helping to set and furl the sails and tie knots, youth gain a deeper appreciation of a working, sailing schooner.
Please note: Some activities are weather-dependent.